


But Not Today

by RKMacBride



Category: The Rat Patrol
Genre: Comrades, Drabble, Gen, Grief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 07:23:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19848331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RKMacBride/pseuds/RKMacBride
Summary: It's easy to take for granted the people we see and work with, day in and day out, as though they will always be there.





	But Not Today

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place during the timeframe of my story "Winter Winds", but after the first chapter, that story is from Arnheiter's POV. This is not, so I pulled it out of "Winter Winds" and made it a drabble instead.

After days in retreat from El Alamein, Kompanie 4 had regrouped and made camp.

Hans Dietrich worked in the HQ tent, alone. For the third time that day, he turned to address his company clerk. There was only the radio set, the silent typewriter, and the empty chair. Arnheiter himself was gone.

The captain arose and went outside where the sentry stood. “Müller, I want that chair taken away. Now.”

“ _Jawohl, Herr Hauptmann_.”

Oberleutnant Bergmann approached. “Sir, you will need to appoint a new clerk. One of the other radiomen…”

“Indeed,” replied the captain with some acerbity. “But not today.”


End file.
